The Problem with Ranged Weapons
by R011ingThunder
Summary: A love potion story... without the potion! The time when Erza turned into a fangirl. When a mission goes wrong, Gray's quick thinking saves the day. Erza is forced to confront her shortcomings and unexpected feelings for her best friend...who she suddenly can't get out of her head. Romance played for laughs with a little angst and whump. [Mazeverse] Grayza
1. Noticing

_This is the story of Lyon, who's head-over-heels for Juvia, who's pining after Gray, who's had a secret crush on Erza (basically since forever), but she's completely oblivious because she's totally in love with Jellal. Of Freed, who feels conflicted over his feelings for Mirajane who's ignoring him because she's not over Laxus who still misses what they used to have (even though he's mostly, completely over it). Of Loke who won't give up even though he knows that he has zero chance with Lucy, even though she's sick and tired of clueless, bone-headed Natsu who doesn't understand why there's a problem.  
_

 _This is the Mazeverse series, a_ _post-Tenrou AU with pairings galore. Gruvia, Lyvia, Grayza, Jerza, Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Graylu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships and rare-pairs as we try to pair the spares._ _This is the Mazeverse. No ship is safe ;)_

* * *

 **Happy Friday! I appreciate the handful of you who are sharing your comments on my relationship rants that I've started including in my end-notes. I'm glad somebody is getting something out of them, lol! XD. It's easy to lose sight of reality when you deal in fluff and drama (like I do). And as much as Mazeverse is based on real people and events, some of it is dramatized. I find that talking through real-world stuff and hearing your comments helps keep things grounded.  
**

 ** **This story is my take on the origin of Erza's archery skills.****

 ** **It takes place over a couple of weeks, so in the Mazeverse timeline, it happens after _Snowbound_ and in parallel with _Protective_. Both can be considered thematic companion-pieces to this one**; neither of them is required reading to enjoy this fic. This is just like ****_Protective_ but this time it's all in Erza's head (instead of Juvia's). Or you could say that this is _Snowbound_ , but backwards (you'll understand what that means when you hit the last chapter XD). **

****darling spider : Thanks so much! I think women should be strong. We all have the propensity to be, but we have to choose it. Sometimes we forget that we're no less desirable to decent men when we take the high road and set standards. :)****

 ** **guest : lol! I'm glad to hear you liked it. We didn't get to explore any of these themes in FT canon, so I worked really hard to try an give her a compelling growth arc. Thanks for the review!****

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Erza Scarlet was engaged in battle with members of a dark guild.

Literally.

Except for the occasional flash of lightning from her spear, there was barely enough light for Erza to see the hand in front of her face. Or, rather, the wizard she was dueling with.

But it was enough.

Erza turned, bringing her spear down with both hands and jabbing at another opponent. She kept him at bay, but just barely.

Normally, opponents like these should have been no problem for Fairy Tail's strongest female wizard. But today was different. Today, she wasn't trying.

Azure Wing had never been a very powerful guild, but recently Erza had started hearing rumors about a literal weapon of darkness. One of their wizards had figured out how to absorb light into a lacrima, as if it were a vacuum or some kind of black hole. On a much larger scale, the idea of absorbing all the light in the world was a very real possibility.

The very idea was enough to make Erza' s palms sweat. The dark was not something she handled well. She couldn't help but volunteer the team for the mission, much to Lucy's dismay.

After a two-day trek across the countryside, the team arrived at the clichéd dreary castle that Azure Wing called their guild hall. Without any source of light in the guild hall, it was impossible for the team to find a weapon, let alone disarm it.

Wit no other choice, Erza split the team up. Natsu's Fire magic made him a walking light-source, and with his keen nose and inhuman hearing, he was the ideal candidate to sniff-out the lacrima while avoiding detection.

This left her, along with Lucy and Gray, to act as a distraction. All they had to do was cause enough of a commotion to keep the attention on them, and not on Natsu. If they could manage to draw most of the dark wizards to them, that would leave the lacrima relatively unguarded for Natsu and Happy to retrieve it.

Erza tightened her grip on the shaft of her spear, sending an impressive-sounding crack of lightning across the room.

"What's taking him so long?" complained Gray, erecting another half-hearted ice shield. "I'm tired of holding back on these losers."

"No kidding," said Lucy. "Maybe Erza should have sent you instead of Natsu."

"Probably," said Gray. "I'd find that lacrima way faster than Ash-for-Brains ever could."

"Maybe." Lucy gave her Fleuve d'etoiles a lazy flourish.

"Hm?"

"Well, actually I was thinking that if Natsu were here instead of you, he'd blast a hole in the wall and then maybe we'd be able to see something."

"Well, I can destroy things too!" Gray sputtered. "Do you _want_ me to tear that wall down?"

"Are you _really_ bragging about that right now?" asked Lucy.

"Stick to the plan, Gray," Erza interrupted. "I'm sure Natsu is close."

And, sure enough, the Dragon Slayer sprinted into the hall just moments later, waving the lacrima over his head like a trophy. "Hey, guys! I got it!"

"Hey, he's got the lacrima!" one of the Azure Wing wizards shouted.

"Real subtle, Fire Breath!" snapped Gray.

"Shut up!" said Natsu. "Come on, Happy, let's take them down."

"Aye, Sir!" shouted Happy. The little Exceed latched onto Natsu's shoulders, starting to lift him up in the air.

"Let go of me, you freak!" Lucy's strident voice echoed off the walls, making Happy stop mid-flutter.

Across the room, Lucy struggled against her captor, her arms twisted back and pinned behind her.

Natsu's face twisted in horror. "Lucy!"

"Natsu!" shrieked Lucy.

"Quit your squirming, girly." Lucy's captor drew a silver dagger, holding it to her neck.

Fear clamped down like a cold vise, twisting Erza's stomach and forcing the air from her lungs.

Erza had chosen her Lightning Empress Armor because it created the most light, but now she needed the familiar weight of a sword in her hand. But her Requips were too flashy for a delicate situation like this one. What she really needed was a diversion.

Instinctively, Erza looked to Gray. His gaze met hers and he gave her a slight nod, relaying his understanding with his eyes. He shifted his stance slightly, the difference so subtle that Erza wouldn't even have noticed if she wasn't looking for it.

 _"Ice Make: Battle Axe!_ " Gray bellowed dramatically, deliberately drawing everyone's attention towards him.

Gray's diversion gave Erza the opportunity she needed to choose a more practical armor. Calling on her magic, Erza Requipped into Heaven's Wheel. With hundreds of swords at her disposal, she would have the upper hand.

"Don't even think about it," the dark wizard snarled, his venomous gaze on Gray. Then his eyes landed on Erza, his face twisting into a leer. "Weapons away, both of you."

Erza clenched her teeth, tightening her grip on her sword. The metal dug into her palm. There was no way she would be intimidated by someone like him.

A whimper from Lucy made Erza stop. Lucy's features pinched and her face was pale. Her brown eyes were wide with fear as her captor pressed the dagger insistently at her throat.

"Now! Put it down or the girl gets it!"

Gray and Erza exchanged glances. Shoulders drooping in defeat, Erza nodded at him before Requipping her swords away.

"Yeah, okay," said Gray, followed suit, his ice weapon dissipating. "It's gone. All right?" He raised his open hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Look," said Erza, fighting to keep her voice steady. She clenched her fist. Without her sword, Erza's hand was small and empty. "We've done as you've asked. Now—"

"First, give me the lacrima."

Lucy shook her head wildly. "Don't do it, Natsu," she breathed. "You can't let him have it." Her bravado was belied by the rapid rising and falling of her chest as she gulped for air. She was terrified.

"Quiet, girl."

" _I'm_ the one with the lacrima!" snarled Natsu, his brows drawing in fury. "Your fight's with me."

Gray groaned. "What does he think he's _doing_?" he hissed.

"Hush," whispered Erza. She agreed with Gray's assessment wholeheartedly, but it wasn't like she had a better idea. She was unarmed and too far away to help.

Lucy's life was at stake and Natsu had their only bargaining chip. They just had to trust him.

"You're in no position to make demands," the dark wizard droned.

"Lucy's got nothing to do with this. Get your hands off her!" shouted Natsu.

"Not until I get the lacrima."

"This what you want?" jeered Natsu, lobbing the fragile sphere from one hand to the other. "All right, then."

" _Idiot_!" muttered Gray.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" Lucy cried desperately. "You can't!"

Natsu grinned broadly. "Catch!" he shouted, hurling the lacrima up into the air.

The dark wizard shoved Lucy aside as he surged forward, trying to catch the precious object before it shattered on the castle floor. Natsu lunged too, though it looked like he was heading for Lucy.

Natsu shouted something and so did Lucy. Their voices mingled with the enemy's in a unified cry.

Time seemed to slow.

Her muscles tightened to spring into action, but Erza couldn't move. She stood, frozen, her mind blank. Somebody needed to do something, but without her swords, she was useless. And she was too far away.

But there, in the darkness, was Gray, just when Erza thought all was lost. His steady baritone cut through her despair, filling her with warmth. " _Ice-Make: Freezing Arrow!_ " A bow of ice appeared in his fist.

Illuminated by his magic, Erza could see the grace in Gray's movements. In a smooth motion, he notched an arrow and drew the string. Gliding from his fingers, the arrow flew straight and true.

Erza heard the crash as the lacrima shattered, showering the room with broken glass. The pulse of concentrated magic sent shockwaves through her chest. The light that broke free from the lacrima bathed the room in white and left Erza squinting. The Azure Wing wizards howled, the light agonizing to their sensitive eyes.

Erza blinked away the spots that flickered across her vision. As her vision cleared, she could see the downed wizards, maybe about twenty of them, rendered defenseless by their sensitive eyes.

Gray grinned, cocky as ever. "Told ya I was sick of holding back, didn't I?" he asked.

"Yeah…" mumbled Erza.

Erza had a feeling she was being irrational, but in that moment, she couldn't help it. Her head replayed the moment in slow motion. Gray, with his bow, like a hero of old. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but he had managed to lose his shirt at some point. The blue glow of his magic highlighted the perfect definition of his chiseled—

Erza stiffened, her shoulders hunching in embarrassment. What nonsense! She had never been physically attracted to Gray. She'd never been attracted to him in any other way, for that matter. Where was this foolishness coming from?

"Wow! That was, like, crazy," chirped Happy. He hovered worriedly. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm good, little buddy," said Natsu, giving a thumbs-up.

"Me too," said Gray. "Erza? Hey, Erza?"

"What?" Erza blinked.

The corners of Gray's mouth pulled into a worried frown. "You all right there?"

"Huh…? Perfectly fine," she said, forcing her voice to steady itself. She needed to focus, not daydream. They still had a job to finish.

Natsu turned to Lucy. She was still cradled in his arms from when he caught her. "What about you, Luce?"

"Yeah. I'm okay too," she said. Then she scowled. "You can let go of me now, perv."

"Hey! I totally saved you! I'm like a hero," said Natsu, but he set Lucy down like she had asked.

"Uh, no you didn't. _Gray_ saved me," said Lucy.

Natsu scoffed. "Did not!"

Lucy ignored him, turning her winning smile towards the Ice-Make mage. "Thank you, by the way."

"You're very welcome," said Gray with faux politeness.

"She _likes_ him!" chortled Happy.

"I do _not_!" Lucy blushed, sneaking a look at Gray. But he wasn't paying attention.

Gray grinned, elbowing Natsu. "See that, Flame Brain. _I'm_ the hero."

" _What_? No!" yelped Natsu.

"You heard her," said Gray, shoulders raised in a mocking shrug.

"Shut up, Popsicle Breath."

"Make me, Ash-for-Brains."

"Enough, both of you," interrupted Erza. "Let's round up these miscreants and collect our reward."

"Yes, ma'am," the boys chorused.

"Who knew these guys were afraid of a little light?" said Lucy. She gave the rope a vicious jerk, tightening it around the wizard who had been holding her hostage. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"I suppose that makes sense, given their whole plunge the world into darkness scheme," said Erza, securing a couple prisoners of her own.

"I guess," said Lucy.

"Doesn't make it any less pathetic," snorted Gray.

"Aye, sir!" agreed Happy.

* * *

 **Erza's brain has turned Gray into a 'hero of old.' Nice... _(facepalms)_ XD  
**

 **When I first came up with the concept for this fic, it was supposed to be more of a satire or a parody. I wanted to poke fun at the idea of being** ** **stupid-head-over-heels-in-love. It feels like it would lend itself well to the classic love potion setup, but I wanted to do something a little different. I'm a firm believer that the human mind can be more powerful than any potion, under the right circumstances. (Some might even argue that love itself _is_ a drug.) Everything that Erza experiences here is self-inflicted. **********Stick around and watch her brain turn to mush as she falls even deeper... XD******

 **Erza made the perfect PoV character because she's the last person I'd expect this behavior from. I thought that would be enough to make it clear that I was being a little tongue-in-cheek.** **The problem? Things started to get a little too serious for a parody, and then my need for drama kicked in...and the story decided it wanted to be hurt/comfort instead of humor. It's kind of a weird mix; I think it still works. But I'll leave you to decide. ;)  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] The Problem with Ranged Weapons:_** _"I need to talk to you," she said, her voice faltering._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	2. Thinking

**Happy Friday!**

 **Forgot to mention that story is actually inspired by a scene Akatsuki no Yona (or Yona of the Dawn for my fellow dubbies). In that anime, Yona asks a friend (her bodyguard Hak) to teach her how to use a bow, and she spends a fair amount of time practicing. I remembered that Erza uses a bow a couple of times towards the end of the anime, so this is my headcanon of how she got there.**

 **guest: Thanks so much! Now I feel like I need to talk about something impressive in the end-notes so that I continue to be worthy of your expectations. ;) I appreciate the support!  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

It had been days since they had returned from Azure Wing's former guild hall.

Days in which Erza relived _that_ moment, over and over. The moment of her ineptitude. While she had been helpless, Lucy had nearly been killed. A dangerous weapon had almost fallen into the hands of the enemy. And she had been completely helpless.

But Gray... Gray had saved them.

Gray looked like some sort of a Greek God, a confident smirk on his face as he held his Ice Bow. His arm drawn back, aim steady, muscles strong.

Erza had a feeling her guilt-ridden mind was twisting the details, she couldn't get that image out of her head. In that moment, Gray, with his Ice Bow had become the epitome of perfection. Thinking about it made her breath hitch.

Erza was referring to the bow, _obviously_. To wield a weapon like that… It might just give her the versatility she would need to salvage future jobs.

With that, Erza made up her mind. There was only one thing to do.

Erza marched into the guild hall with determined strides. She planted herself in front of a certain teammate, her back like an iron rod. Her heart drummed against her breastbone.

"I need to talk to you," she said, her voice faltering. Those words had never been difficult before. Why now?

Gray's head snapped up. "Erza," he said, gesturing at the empty seat across from him.

Erza's stomach flip-flopped as struggled to meet his eye. Was he always so nonchalant?

"Not here," she said, shaking her head. "Outside?"

Nodding, Gray rose to follow.

"So, what's up?" he asked, steel-colored eyes surveying her.

"Training," said Erza. Her mouth was dry and her tongue wasn't cooperating. She swallowed hard, working at the hem of her skirt with gauntleted fingers. "Actually, I need your help," she mumbled.

"Sure," said Gray with an easy shrug. "You just need a spotter or something?"

"No. I…" Erza dropped her gaze. "I want you to teach me how to use a bow," she blurted.

That was clearly the only solution. If Erza knew how to use a bow, she could be more like Gray. Then, the next time her team was in trouble, she'd be ready.

"You want me to _what_?" asked Gray, his eyebrows furrowing. "A bow? What for?"

"Last week's mission got me thinking. I'm more of a close-combat fighter. I'm basically useless once I'm out-of-range."

"That's why it's called _out-of-range_ ," said Gray dryly.

"But Lucy was in trouble and I couldn't do anything about it," insisted Erza. "I rely too heavily on my swordsmanship. That's a problem. I need to work on my ranged attacks."

"Isn't that lightning-spear-thing you've got ranged?"

"I meant a ranged melee weapon," corrected Erza. "Lightning wouldn't have helped anything the other day."

"Erza…" Gray sighed. "Look. Everything's okay now, right? I mean, we beat the bad guys. Nobody got hurt. Isn't that enough?"

"Please, Gray," she begged. "I need to learn. I can't be in a position like that again."

Gray jammed his hands into his pockets, leaning against the side of the building. "All you want is a ranged weapon, right? Why don't you ask Bisca? She's a sharpshooter, isn't she? Her aim's probably better than mine."

"It's not the same. I want to learn how to shoot a bow," Erza insisted. "Please, will you teach me? You're the only one who can."

There was a long pause as Gray looked her over. He opened his mouth. Then he closed it again. He ran his hand through his hair, eyes pinching shut briefly.

"Fine," said Gray, relenting with a sigh. "Meet me here tomorrow. Bring your gear."

Erza smiled. "Thank you!"

"But don't come crying to me when I have you shooting two hundred arrows a day," Gray added grimly. "You'll be begging for mercy then."

Erza nodded. "I accept your challenge."

* * *

 **I just can't take Erza seriously when I write her like this... ;) You'll have to excuse her; her brain's a little scrambled.  
**

 **This week's rant is on Every Me Loves Every You (EMLEY). For those who haven't heard of it, EMLEY is the notion that two characters (like someone's OTP) will always find each other,** ** **regardless of time, space, parallel universe (basically** in any AU), because love is love and they were 'meant to be'. When I first got into fanfic, I _loved_ the idea of EMLEY. These days, not so much... (The gratuitous capitalization is intentional. Think about Me and You as characters.)  
**

 **The question we have to think about is: Why did Me love You? Me loved You because the events in You's past made You who You were, and that made You perfect for Me. (Think about all the stuff in your life that made you who you are. Would you be a different person if they hadn't happened?) The events in Me's past have shaped Me too, by the same logic. What if Me had a different past? You might not be perfect for Me anymore. Or what if the event that brought Me and You together never happened? Me and You would never have fallen in love. There's a Me out there, in some parallel universe, who never met You. There's a You out there who is all wrong for Me.** ** **Not every Me will love every You.** And that's okay. Because Me and You can find other people in whatever world they're in that will complete them in the way they need.  
**

 **I don't believe there's only one perfect person (The One) in this world for us. I don't think The One exists. With the 7.6 billion people in this world, the probability of us meeting one specific person is astronomically small. I've got to believe that there is more than one person we might work with. But the implication there is that there's no magic... We're not going to _magically_ meet The One and have it _magically_ work out. And when things don't auto-magically play out like a cheesy romance novel, that doesn't mean that you should call it quits because you haven't found The One yet and need to keep searching. Love at first sight is all well and good and butterflies are fine, but it's what happens _after_ that matters. Stable, long-term relationships take compromise, sacrifice, commitment and a lot of hard work. It takes more than two people looking cute together or him making her laugh or anything like that.  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] The Problem with Ranged Weapons_** **:** _Erza's eyes landed on his – was that an eight-pack?_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	3. Admiring

**Happy Friday! I appreciate all the reviews, guys! I love getting to hear from you. :)** ** ** **Some of you guys are really challenging me to think, and I appreciate that.  
******

 ** **A few of you mentioned the word _soulmates._ Interestingly enough, I actually do use that word... I'll have to do some _soul_ searching (lol) to figure out why my brain thinks it's different from this finding the other half of your OTP idea. It'll probably be the topic of another Relationship Rant in a few weeks. XD.  
****

 **As a disclaimer, I am not an archer. Anything you see here is a product of my imagination and a lot of Googling, so hopefully it's mostly legit.**

 **darling spider : I'm glad Erza makes sense to you here...my beta didn't think it made sense to him. So that makes me feel better that I'm not the only one who sees her this way. :) Thanks!**

 **guest : Nice save, Erza, right? By the way, those are awesome words: balance, patience, forgiveness. Those are ones that I usually forget about when I'm writing my rants. Balance, especially, is a hard one in fiction, but it's super important IRL. Anyways, I appreciate the support!**

 **strongasdiamond : These two are a boatload of sexual tension for sure! I had a lot of fun with them here. That's an interesting headcanon. That's a very Gray thing to do. Do you think he would have tailored his style to complement hers? Anywho, if you're looking for more fics like this one, I've got a couple more on my profile that might be worth checking out. Thanks! :)**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Erza followed as Gray led her into the forest. Growing up, she and the other Fairy Tail kids spent as much time playing hide and seek here as they did sparring. It certainly brought back fond memories!

But it seemed an odd place for archery lessons.

"What is this, Gray?" asked Erza.

"The forest?" he asked dryly.

"No, I meant why are we here?" she clarified.

"This is where I learned how to shoot," he said.

"I thought Ur taught you."

Gray shook his head. "Master Ur taught me everything I know about Ice-Make magic. But I learned my weaponry skills on my own," he said, his eyes glinting with something that resembled pride.

Gray motioned for Erza to stop.

"This is a good spot," he said. Raising his hands, Gray pulled his arms back, molding a thick disc of ice. He positioned it against the trees in the distance. "We'll be shooting toward the tree line," he said. " _That's_ the target."

With a flourish, Gray's shirt flew through the air.

"Gray! What are you doing?" squeaked Erza.

"Getting serious," he said.

Erza's eyes landed on his – was that an eight-pack? She'd never noticed before. She felt her face grow warm.

"Put your clothes back on!"

"Nope."

Stupid, perverted exhibitionist! Erza should have been used to Gray's stripping habit. How many times had she given him an earful over it? But today the urge to rant was replaced by the knotted feeling in her stomach. She had never paid such close attention to Gray. Not this sort of attention, at any rate. Why now?

"You should probably ditch the armor too," said Gray.

Heat surged to her face. "What?!" Erza crossed her arms defensively. There was no way she was going to do _that_!

Gray blinked at her. "Easy! I'm not asking for anything crazy. You can wear whatever you normally do."

"I _normally_ wear armor," she insisted. She clenched her jaw, trying to keep from flushing.

Gray huffed, shaking his head and fixing Erza with a knowing look. "Suit yourself," he said with a shrug.

"So where do I start?" she asked, her bow in front of her.

"Watch me first," said Gray. He turned away from both Erza and the target, planting his feet and squaring his strong shoulders. With a flutter of his hands, an ice bow appeared firm in his grasp. Erza could see the pull of muscles in his arms and back as Gray drew the bowstring and let an arrow fly in one fluid motion.

Dead center.

Erza's breath hitched, her mouth dry. He made it look so _effortless._

"The foundation of archery is balance and a strong stance," Gray said.

Thwap. Another ice arrow met its mark.

"If you aren't grounded, then you can't expect to hit anything." Thwap. "But if you can hold your bow steady…" Thwap. "And follow through…" Thwap. "Then you'll be able to hit the target…" Thwap. "And you won't even have to think about it." Thwap. "It's just muscle memory."

Erza could feel her eyes widen. Her guildmate had driven half-a-dozen arrows into the bullseye without so much as a pause.

"That's all there is to it." Gray turned back toward her with that self-assured grin of his. "Do you want to give it a shot?"

"Sure." Erza tried to wipe the dumbstruck look from her face, hoping he hadn't noticed it. Taking her place at the shooting line, she imitated Gray's stance. "Like this?"

Gray looked her over slowly with sharp eyes. Erza could feel her cheeks burning at his scrutiny.

"Turn your toes in," he muttered, nudging her foot with his own. "Better." He cleared his throat. "Okay, whenever you're ready."

Carefully, Erza notched an arrow, balancing it between gauntleted fingers. Taking a deep breath, she drew the bowstring. Twang. Erza watched as her arrow soared before embedding itself into the ground. She hadn't even covered half the distance that Gray had.

Twang. Twang. Twang. One after the other, Erza's arrows peppered themselves across the range. None of them were even close to reaching the target, never mind hitting it!

"What am I doing wrong?" she moaned.

The Ice-Make mage smirked. "Maybe I'm just that much stronger than you?" he suggested wryly.

"Not possible," said Erza through clenched teeth.

Gray chuckled, raising his hands. "I was just kidding. Geez!"

"Not funny, Gray!" Erza pouted, stomping her foot. But that just made him laugh harder.

"Why don't we try it without the armor?" he chuckled.

"I told you—"

"Or you can keep it on and keep shooting at the ground. Your choice."

Erza glowered, Requipping into her school-girl outfit. Then, she adjusted her stance, like Gray had done. Swiftly, she drew her arrow, letting it slip from her fingers as she reached the apex of her range of motion.

With a twang, the arrow flew, sailing right past the target.

"I did it!" Erza could hear the amazement coloring her voice.

"What did I tell ya?" Gray looked far too pleased with himself. "Archery requires a pretty wide range of motion, especially in the arms and shoulders. Armor only gets in the way."

Erza was far too happy to pay him any mind. She'd let his smugness slide…this time.

Twang. Twang. Twang.

Erza let her arrows fly in rapid succession. One of them embedded itself in a distant tree.

Gray gave a low whistle. "That's some good power on your shots."

"But they aren't supposed to be all over the place, are they?"

"No…" Steel-colored eyes searched her face. Then Gray shrugged, moving to stand behind her. "When your bow string's drawn, you'll want your elbow up." He adjusted her arm, fingers lingering on her skin. The warmth of his touch made her stomach flutter. "Just like this," he said, his breath tickling her ear. Gray reached forward, his left hand closing over hers, reinforcing her grip on her bow.

She could feel the muscles in his chest against her shoulder blades. He was so close that he could probably feel the way her heart hammered. Erza wondered if the tips of her ears were red. How did he manage to fluster her so much?

Gray laced his fingers through hers, guiding her right hand towards the bowstring. He helped her notch an arrow and draw it back, deliberately letting the side of his hand come to rest against her jaw.

"That's your anchor point. Bring your hand right back here, every time. If you want consistency with your shots, you'll need a consistent anchor."

Erza could feel the rumbling of his chest as he explained, his voice low. She swallowed hard.

The arrow danced from their fingertips.

 _Bullseye_.

Then, Gray jerked away, hands jammed in his pockets. There was a spark of something in his expression that Erza didn't recognize. "Well, I think that's enough instruction for today, don't you?"

"Yeah…" she said. She felt breathless and her head spun. "So…now…"

"Why don't you run through it again. Get some practice in," he muttered, eyes on the ground. He bent to pick up his shirt, tugging it back on with quick, jerky motions.

Erza nodded, drawing her bow like Gray had showed her. She missed.

"Maybe you could try aiming," suggested Gray seriously. "That might help." His lips pulled into a lazy grin.

"One more wisecrack and I swear, Gray, I'll shoot you myself," Erza hissed.

Gray laughed. "Good luck with that! Let me know if you actually manage to hit anything." His thumbs were latched in casually in his pockets. He raised a hand, waving without looking back.

* * *

 **Lol to Erza overreacting to _everything_ (and Gray being completely chill about it).**

 **This is one of the few Mazeverse multi-chapter stories that comes from only one perspective (the other is _A Wingman for Christmas)._** **I felt like this was a way to flip the** ** ** ** **classic love-potion story (or sometimes it's the character-gets-whacked-in-the-head story) formula.******** ** ** **Often friends and family realizing that this individual is behaving out of character and they spend the rest of the episode trying to respond to this, basically until this person goes back to normal. I wanted to go the other way around, from inside Erza's head, where she _doesn't_ think anything is wrong. This is just how she's processing information at the moment, so she thinks this is normal. ******

**Normally, I like to give multiple perspectives to show each character's bias. In this case, I had _wanted_ to bias you and let you go this journey of discovery along with Erza without giving you an outside perspective (from Gray) to calibrate on. ****  
**

****But you can still sort of see (through Gray's behavior)** just how weird and uncomfortable this is for him. Remember, Mazeverse Gray gets overwhelmed by this sort of weirdness. The fact that it's Erza makes it even worse, because Gray knows perfectly well that this isn't normal for her. (Check out _Snowbound_ if you're curious what Mazeverse Gray and Erza are like normally; it'll make this story doubly ironic.) **

**I can't speak for the guys, but I think a lot of us girls have experienced what Erza is going through... inexplicable feelings that make us act emotional and out of character. (Do you agree?) I find that when I'm weird and emotional, most of my guy friends don't know what to do.** **They pretty much take two giant steps backwards (and I can't tell if they** **don't quite know what to do with all that emotion or if they think they're doing us a favor by giving us space (you know, to hide in our Man-Cave and work things out...never occurs to them that us girls don't _have_ Man-Caves...). There is the odd exception (guys who grew up with sisters) who will brave the storm and try to figure out why we're being weird about stuff. And I think Gray's still sort of on the edge between being _Weirded-Out_ and trying to _Figure-Things-Out_. He's like: "Here, let me help. On second thought, never mind." XD  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] The Problem with Ranged Weapons,_** **Erza gets weirder and Gray starts to do some figuring:** _She was not doing this. Erza Scarlet did not ogle._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	4. Obsessing

**Happy Friday! Not much to mention in the A/N this week. This is, by in large, a bridge chapter before the good stuff happens. And by good stuff, I mean like bad stuff, lol.  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

The target that Gray had fashioned was still there the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. Erza supposed that Gray must have made it out of magic ice, the sort that wouldn't melt.

It was a good thing, too, since Erza found herself down at the range every day. She practiced until her arms were sore and her shoulders screamed for mercy. But she wouldn't quit.

Gray had said that this was how he had learned to shoot. And if he could do it, so could she. She need to do this. She needed to prove that she could handle herself as well as Gray could.

Today, she had slipped away after Lucy 'accidentally' shoved Natsu into Gajeel. With the guild about to fall into another legendary Fairy Tail Brawl, Erza decided that no one would miss her if she disappeared for a couple hours.

But she was wrong.

"Hey."

Erza's stomach flipped as a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. "Gray…"

Gray looked like he always did. Erza took in the messy hair, the steel-colored eyes, the chiseled physique of a warrior. He looked fantastic, as usual.

"You've improved," he observed. His eyes flickered to the shafts that protruded from the target.

"You think so?" asked Erza, pleased.

"You'll have to show me just how much. Why don't ya gimme another round," Gray challenged.

Erza shifted into the now-familiar stance, letting her muscles act on instinct. She drew her bowstring and let the arrows fly in rapid succession.

"Well?" she looked at Gray expectantly.

Gray's eyes flitted to her face coolly before scrutinizing the range. He hummed pensively. "You know, I think you've almost got the hang of the whole aim-then-fire thing," he observed. With a teasing grin, he pointed down range.

Half of her arrows had found their mark. The other half were scattered about uselessly.

Erza deflated when she realized he was just teasing her. "I hit the target most of the time," she insisted. "I think I'm doing fine."

"You only wanna defeat your enemies _most_ of the time?" mocked Gray.

"Well, no…"

"You only wanna win _most_ of the time?" continued Gray.

"Unacceptable," said Erza.

"So, what'cha gonna do about it?"

"I'm going practice until I get it, of course," she muttered sullenly. "I want to master the bow and that's that."

Gray grinned crookedly. "Now, that's the Erza I know and love," he said.

Gray molded an ice bow for himself. Frost danced at the tips of his deft fingers. Erza let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She had long suspected his magic to be one of the most beautiful, and now she couldn't be surer.

Taking his place at the shooting line, he took aim. As he drew the bow string, Erza could see the power in every muscle, in his chest, in his arms. The motion was fluid, precise and deliberate. There was no hesitation.

Even after he let the arrow fly, Erza's eyes lingered. Most of her guildmates were fit, but Gray was in peak physical condition. He was toned, but not bulky. Lean, but not lanky. Sure, he was no Elfman, and all the better, as far as Erza was concerned. There was such a thing as too much muscle.

"What?" asked Gray.

Erza tore her eyes away, her heart-rate just a little too fast. She was _not_ doing this. Erza Scarlet did not _ogle_. Gray was her teammate, nothing more. Part of her was even a little confused as to why she was behaving this way. She didn't have an answer.

Instead, she sighed. "You make it seem so easy," she complained.

"There's nothing easy about it. Kinda like your swordsmanship. Just takes practice."

"I've _been_ practicing," she said.

"I know," he said quietly.

"You do?"

Gray nodded. "I've seen you sneaking out of the guild to come down here," he said.

"I shoot two hundred arrows a day," she told him.

"You _what_?"

Erza nodded. "At least," she said. "Sometimes I do more if I've got time."

"Erza, that's crazy! You're going to hurt yourself doing that," he said, frowning.

"That's what you said _you_ did, isn't it?" asked Erza stubbornly. She was a little sore, but it was nothing a little post-workout ice couldn't fix.

"Well, yeah…" said Gray. "But that was when I was a kid. I didn't know any better. And I'm surprised you remembered," he added.

"Regardless, all the practice doesn't seem to be helping. I never seem to improve," she sighed. "And then there's you…"

Gray quirked a questioning eyebrow. He waited for her to continue.

"You're good at everything," she blurted out.

"I— _what_?" he asked, shaking his head. Gray looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "What are you talking about?"

"Swords, cannons, hand-to-hand, you can do it all," she said. "And your Maker-Magic gets you out of anything."

"You do realize that's what most people would say about _you_ , right?" he asked slowly.

"All I can do is Requip and hopefully knock someone's skull in," she mumbled.

"Y'know, that's a pretty effective tactic, all things considered."

"You're incredible, Gray. I've always admired you," murmured Erza, her voice small.

He gave her a worried glance. "What brought this on?" he asked gently.

Erza shrugged. She wasn't about to share her insecurities with someone who was good at everything.

"Erza. The whole guild thinks you're amazing," he insisted.

Erza gave an incredulous chuckle, shaking her head. "Gray, that's—"

Gray cut her off. "Don't laugh, it's true."

His expression said more than words could have. Gray was one to tease, but he certainly wasn't teasing now. His eyes reflected his sincerity. More than that, she could see what looked like genuine admiration.

"Thank you," she breathed. "It means a lot."

Gray just nodded. "Now, we've done the whole sappy feelings bit. Why don't we get back out there and get another round of practice in before it gets late? But then that's it for today, okay?"

"First to twenty?" she asked.

"You're on!" he said, grinning back.

* * *

 **Anybody find it strange that Erza's struggling with the archery? I know it's not easy, but combat should be her forte...what's going on there?**

 **For anyone who read _Snowbound_ , realize what a major opportunity Gray isn't taking... Ask yourself why.  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] The Problem with Ranged Weapons,_** **Gray changes up his teaching methods:** _"All right, Erza. Aim it right at me."_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	5. Aggravating

**Happy Friday!**

 **So...I'm really excited for this chapter. It's the inspiration behind the entire fic. (Yep, for those wondering where I'm going with this, there's actually a method to my madness. Hard to believe, I know. XD). I just sort of needed the first four chapters to make it happen, lol. I enjoyed this one and I hope you do too.**

 **I'll leave you with one final thought. I've said it before: The first sight of love is the last sight of wisdom. When your brain melts, common sense goes out the window... Hint, hint...**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

"You're overthinking it, Erza," he said. "Archery is all about muscle memory. Just go with it."

"I'm trying," she said.

Gray met her on the range twice a week. He'd work with her on improving her stance, sharpening her aim and getting more speed behind her shots. Erza could tell that she was improving, and Gray seemed pleased with her progress.

But no matter how much she practiced, Gray was still faster. Still better. Still more ready to protect their team. All the random arrows that were strewn around the range were evidence of that.

"You need to stop hesitating," he insisted.

Erza frowned, still uncertain. Gray shook his head, putting his own bow down.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I think we're gonna have to try something a little different," he said, marching down range. He planted himself between her and the target. "All right, Erza. Aim it right at me."

" _What_?!" she choked, shaking her head.

Gray had to be out of his mind!

"What's the matter? Scared you're gonna miss?" Gray's lips quirked into a mocking smirk.

"No, I'm scared I'm going to hit you!" she snapped, a frantic note entering her voice.

Rule number one when it came to weapons was _never_ to point one at another person. Not unless you intended to injure them. That was part of respecting your weapon, something that had been drummed into Erza's head from an early age.

Gray shook his head. "You won't hit me," he said.

" _Gray_ …" Erza let out a shaky breath.

"You won't hit me," he repeated confidently.

"This is foolish."

"Why? Because you know your aim sucks?"

Erza snarled. "My aim certainly does _not_ —"

"Go ahead," he taunted. "Prove me wrong." His voice was flat, but a challenge lit his eyes.

Erza glared as she notched an arrow. This went against her every instinct. "Are you sure—"

"Quit stalling already."

The arrow flew from Erza's fingers, whizzing past Gray's ear.

"Ho! Not even close." Gray grinned lazily, his hands still in his jacket pockets. He still had his shirt _and_ his jacket on.

He wasn't taking this seriously. No, he wasn't taking _her_ seriously.

Erza's temper flared. "That was a warning shot," she said in a low voice, already notching another arrow.

"Well, consider me warne—Whoa! Hey!" Gray jerked to the side to avoid the shot. "That's more like it! But ya still missed…in case you were wondering."

The anger simmering in her chest only served to improve Erza's aim. She let the arrows fly in rapid succession, forcing Gray to dart out of the way.

 _You're overthinking it._ That was what he had said. _Don't hesitate_.

She had never tried to hit a moving target with her bow, but years of fighting experience had honed her ability to land a strike. Erza surrendered to instinct and let her body act on its own.

 _Thwap_.

Gray gave sharp hiss, staggering a step backwards. His disbelieving eyes widened, the color draining from his face.

The haze of rage cleared. Erza suddenly felt dizzy, her stomach churning in horror.

Gray crumpled to his knees with a grunt, curling in on his injury. His hands clasped at the arrow embedded in his side. Blood was already starting to stain his shirt.

She'd hit him.

* * *

 **Oops. Seriously, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Oh, wait... Guess that means the joke's over. ** **Even though she's been off her game for a couple weeks, this was not a smart move on Gray's part. Or Erza's. Never point pointy objects at other people, guys. Bad idea.  
******

 **I know this chapter's super short. If I haven't satisfied your Grayza kick for the week, consider checking out my angsty Grayza one-shot _Always_. If you haven't read it, I would definitely recommend it. Of everything I've written, it's probably caused the biggest stir.  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] The Problem with Ranged Weapons,_** **Gray hurts and Erza panics:** _"Calm down?! I just shot you!" she cried, her voice rising shrilly._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	6. Panicking

**Happy Friday!**

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **So...as you can all tell, I had a really good time with last week's chapter. And it sounded like some of you did too. Thanks for everyone sharing your reactions...I really enjoyed reading them!  
****************

 ** ** ** **darling spider : lol! As much as I'm a romance writer, I think it's worth pointing out that I'm sort of a realist when it comes to relationships. Sometimes I think maybe it's not as bad as I make it out to be, but then again...look around. I'm sure you've seen plenty of people do things that they shouldn't. ********

********I have a friend IRL who fell for a guy she met on the internet. After exchanging a few cutesy Facebook messages and a couple of photographs, she bought a plane ticket to see him (and didn't tell anybody). Not smart. She wanted to be with him so badly that she sponsored his visa and brought him home to live with her. After that, he basically freeloaded off her for _three years_. I guess she was sort of infatuated at the time, but in hindsight, sh******** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **e was said it was one of the dumbest things she had ever done.**************** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **So...maybe my pessimism around fluffy-feelings is justified, lol. :) If you're wondering what happened after, my friend eve**************** ntually told this guy that if he wanted to stick around, they need to get married and he needed stop freeloading and actually get a job, otherwise she was kicking him out.  
********

 ** ** ** **If there's a moral to this story, it's _don't do that._ Don't randomly up and leave the country to visit random people you met online. Things that seem like a good idea when you're under the influence of strong emotions (infatuation, jealousy, anger) may not actually be a great idea. You may end up having some guy freeload off you for three years...********

 ** ** ** **Or you may end up accidentally impaling your best friend (ahem, Erza...) Side-note: Edgar who is the other half of R011ingThunder says that it's technically 'skewering' and not 'impaling,' but I think my point stands. :)  
********

 **Anyways, I'm rambling. I super-loved this chapter (I mean, who doesn't love beating up on Gray?) and I hope you do too. ;)  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

The bow fell from Erza's fingers, landing in the grass with a soft crunch.

"Gray!" she gasped, rushing to his side. She fell to her knees next to him, anxiously peering into his face.

"Well, that didn't… go as planned. Nice shot," he groaned. "So, this is what happens… when you challenge… the great Titania, huh?" He attempted a smirk, but it looked more like a grimace.

"That's not funny," she said, biting her lip. "We have to get you back to the guild right away."

Gray nodded. "Yeah," he breathed, voice tight with pain. "Good call."

She was so _stupid_! How could she have let this happen? Her incompetence had failed her once again and another one of her friends had gotten hurt.

This was just like Azure Wing all over again. Except this time... Erza pressed her lips together. This time, Gray wouldn't be able to save them from her failure.

No. Because she'd shot him.

She'd almost killed one of her best friends. The realization weighed heavy in her chest.

"I don't know if it's safe to move you," Erza mumbled anxiously to herself, her brow furrowed. "Maybe I should bring help to you? I can't tell if I hit anything important—"

"Erza. Calm down."

"Calm down?! I just shot you!" she cried, her voice rising shrilly.

"Yeah. I noticed," he ground out. "Look, it's fine. Just…just help me up, okay?"

"It's not fine! Don't try to tell me it's fine!" cried Erza.

"Erza!" Gray barked, startling her into silence. "Not helping."

"Sorry." She swallowed at the lump in her throat, looking away. She couldn't fall apart like this.

"Deep breath," he coached.

Erza nodded, filling her lungs slowly and steeling herself. She had taken first-aid training with Lucy and Levy last year, so she should know how to handle a situation like this. What was the rule for arrow injuries?

"Right. We're going back to the guild, okay?" Erza eyed the shaft protruding from Gray's side, frowning. It didn't look very deep, so hopefully she didn't hit anything important, but they wouldn't be able to deal with it until she got him back to the guild. "We'll have to leave that in there for now. If we remove it, you'll bleed out."

"I know," said Gray. He was breathing hard, sucking rapid, shallow breaths from between his teeth.

"If anything changes— breathing, heart-rate, _anything_ — I need you to tell me," she said sternly.

"Got it."

"I'm serious. Don't you _dare_ try to down play this, Gray Fullbuster."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it, okay?" said Gray, scowling. "Would you hurry it up?"

"…Sorry." Erza cringed, guilt gnawing at her stomach.

"Didn't mean it _that_ way," he mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. Come on," said Erza, slinging Gray's arm over her shoulders. She didn't like how clammy his hand felt. She wrapped her own arms around his waist to support him, careful to avoid jostling the shaft of the arrow. "On three, okay?"

Gray bit back a groan as Erza hauled him to his feet, swearing under his breath. Erza didn't have the heart to scold him. Erza started to pull him in the direction of the guild hall, but Gray stopped short.

"Hold up." Gray shut his eyes, bowing his head.

"What's the matter?" asked Erza.

"Dizzy… gimme a sec," he breathed.

"You okay?" Erza frowned worriedly. She tried to peer into his face, but he had turned his head away.

"Yeah," he muttered weakly, his response soft and clipped.

" _Gray_?" asked Erza in a small voice. She knew he didn't mean anything by it, but his stubbornness only made her feel more useless. "Tell me how to help."

"…I'm good now. Let's go."

"But—"

"I'm okay. Just stood up too fast," he mumbled. "Come on."

Erza helped Gray stagger back towards the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. He was breathing hard and leaning heavily against her. Erza had never realized how far away their makeshift archery range was from the guild hall.

"Maybe I should just carry you," she said. "I could probably manage if I—"

"God, no!" huffed Gray, his steel eyes meeting hers. "You are _not_ —"

"It'd be faster," she said, "and I think—"

"Leave me _some_ dignity, would ya?" he snorted.

 _"Dignity?_ I think we've got other things to worry about right now!" snapped Erza.

"Drop it, Erza. Keep walking. We're almost there."

Erza complied with a huff, still debating the merits of honoring his request. Surely, he'd forgive her for going against his wishes. He obviously wasn't thinking clearly, after all. But Gray's expression was set into that stubborn scowl that made arguing with him pointless.

Finally, finally, they arrived back at the guild.

Erza flung the doors open. "Where's Wendy?" she demanded.

The normally busy guild hall fell silent.

"Just had to go and draw attention to us, huh?" muttered Gray.

"Oh, my goodness!" chirped Mira, hiking up her skirts and rushing over. "Is he all right?"

"Gray, darling!" wailed Juvia, her eyes welling with tears as she ran to them. She looked like she wanted to throw herself at him.

"Hey, Mira, Juvia," muttered Gray. "It's fine. Oh, _please_ don't cry."

Juvia nodded, biting her quivering lip. "What on earth happened?" Juvia asked, sniffling.

"I'll bet the Ice Princess, here, did something stupid, huh?" said Natsu.

Erza started to scold him, but Gray cut her off. "Yeah, let's go with that."

"You can be a real idiot sometimes," growled Natsu. He still sounded disdainful, but his expression shifted into a worried frown.

Erza shook her head. " _I_ was the one who—" she stared to say.

"It was just a training accident," interrupted Gray tersely. "Can we quit making a big deal about it?"

"You'd think someone with the Ice Pervert's experience would know to be more careful," said Gajeel.

"Gajeel! That was uncalled for," said Pantherlilly sternly.

"I'm just pointing out the facts," Gajeel said, entirely unapologetic.

Even though Gajeel's comment wasn't directed at her, Erza cringed. She _should_ have known better. This was _her_ fault.

"Wendy and Charle went to Margaret Town for the day," said Mira. "They should be back later."

"Help me get him to the infirmary, Mira," said Erza. "At the very least we can get the arrow out of him and dress the wound while we wait for Wendy's return."

Mira nodded, supporting Gray from the other side.

"Juvia wants to help!" the Water Mage piped up.

"You're just going to get in the way, Sprinkler," said Gajeel.

"Juvia won't be any trouble. Juvia just wants to be there for her darling."

"What Gajeel means is you might want to give them some space," suggested Pantherlilly. "They'll need room to work."

Juvia looked crestfallen.

"Well, actually, Juvia. Do you think you can get a hold of Wendy?" asked Mira. "If you really want to help, that would be the best way."

The Water Mage's face brightened. "Right! Juvia can— _I_ can do that," she promised, her left hand forming a determined fist. "You said Margaret Town, right? That's where the Lamia Scale Guild is. I'll call Lyon and see if he's seen her."

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **So, it looks like Gray has successfully cured Erza of her fangirling phase.******** Guilt is a fantastic way to put a damper on quite a few things...  
**********

 **Who likes Gray nonchalantly trying to cover up for Erza's mistake in front of the others? I headcanon that that's a common thing between them.**

 **Next time, in the final chapter of** ** _[Mazeverse] The Problem with Ranged Weapons,_** **Gray coaxes out the whole story:** _"Now. What's this really about?" asked Gray, his voice soft. "_ _I know something's been bothering you for a while."_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	7. Realizing

**Happy Friday (the 13th)!**

 **I'm super excited to be sharing the last chapter of _The Problem with Ranged Weapons._ This is the real reason I wrote this fic (other than to beat up on Gray, obviously; no rationale needed for that XD). If you enjoyed this fic (with it's wicked little plot twist and shameless Gray whump), please consider favoriting or leaving a comment. This will help other people find this fic, even without me giving away the secret in the description.**

 **guest : Thanks a bunch; that's such a compliment! I'm not quite done making Gray jump through hoops yet, so bear with me. But we'll get some sweet fluff at the end of Gray's story line, if you've got the patience for it (because I writ slowly, lol). No Lyon this time, unfortunately, but we'll see him again in a couple of stories. I'm sort of excited that you've asked about him, though. He's my hands-down favorite. I totally didn't realize that until I started writing him in Mazeverse. I always thought Gray was my favorite, but Ur's older student has beat him out once again, lol! (Not that my opinion matters, but still... it's the principle of the thing! XD) and I'm planing to give Lyon a larger role in upcoming arcs, and that only works if other people care about him too. This is the last here, but I hope to see you on future stories. I've got all kinds of fun planned to share with you. Thanks!**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Erza tapped her foot, letting out an impatient huff. "Where _is_ Wendy? She was supposed to be back half-an-hour ago."

Erza's fingers were cold and numb. It had taken ages to stop the bleeding and nearly as long to scrub the blood off her hands. The very memory made her stomach churn. Normally blood didn't bother her, but this time, it was _Gray's_. And she was responsible for spilling it.

God, she was so _stupid_!

She scowled at the wooden bow lying on the floor. She hadn't remembered retrieving it, but she must have, for here it was. It seemed to mock her for her ineptitude.

Gray had been a much better patient once Mira had gotten involved. He quit putting up a fight since the beautiful barmaid threatened tears every time he got stubborn.

If Erza had known that was all it took to gain Gray's cooperation, she would have started bawling from the beginning. Her friend always _did_ have a weakness for tears, even when they were growing up.

Of course, now that Mira was gone, Gray was back to being his cocky, petulant, irritating self. Normally, Erza would have taken it as a positive that her friend was recovering so quickly, but today his flippant comments were only making the guilty knot in her chest grow.

"Will you relax, already?" Gray was sitting on one of the beds in the infirmary, leaning against the wall. His torso was wrapped with sterile white bandages. Erza could see the top half of his navy blue guild mark peeking out over the top.

Erza frowned, watching her friend anxiously. He had gotten some of his color back, but he was still worryingly pale. It didn't matter how cavalier he wanted to be, Wendy needed to get back soon.

"Erza, I'm fine. Quit worrying, all right?" he said, catching her lingering gaze. "We just gotta wait for Wendy to come and do her thing."

"Stop saying that you're fine!" snapped Erza, her voice sharp. "This is all my fault."

Gray shook his head. "We've been over this, yeah? I told you, it was just an accident. That's all."

"It shouldn't have happened. I never should have pointed my weapon at you." Erza gnawed at her lower lip, catching it against her teeth.

"Well, if anything, it's my fault, then. It _was_ my idea," said Gray.

"I should have known better than to listen to you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You know that's not what I meant," she said, her eyes flashing with irritation. "I _hurt_ you."

Gray shrugged. "Maybe next time I'll learn to be faster."

"You're here because of _my_ incompetence," she insisted.

"Erza, I think you've got it backwards," said Gray, looking amused. "If you were _in_ competent, you would have missed."

"Gray, that isn't funny! I could have killed you!" snapped Erza. "I… I almost killed you..." Erza's voice wavered as she trailed off. Her hands shook as she dragged them through her hair.

"Erza…" mumbled Gray, shaking his head. He shifted gingerly, making some room on the infirmary bed. He patted the empty spot next to him. "C'mere," he said softly.

Erza hesitated. Was he was trying to comfort her? She didn't deserve that. It was her incompetence that had landed them in this situation.

"Or I guess I can come to you," he said. "That's good too." Gray heaved himself up with a grunt, one hand braced against his injury. His face twisted in pain as he started to swing his legs off the side of the bed.

Erza crossed the room in two strides, clamping a hand on Gray's shoulder to keep him from moving. "Stop it," she scolded. He'd be the death of both of them if he kept trying to aggravate his injury.

Gray didn't argue, but his expression was unapologetic. He tugged her down to sit next to him.

Relenting, Erza sank onto the edge of the mattress with a sigh. She hugged her left knee up to her chest, her shoulders hunched. His proximity should have tied her insides in knots, but the welling guilt in her stomach left no room for butterflies.

"Now. What's this really about?" asked Gray, his voice soft.

"I told you. All of this is my—"

"Not that." Gray waved impatiently. "I mean all this guilt-tripping and the sudden obsession with archery. I know something's been bothering you for a while."

Erza's head snapped up, her eyes wide and curious.

Gray arched an eyebrow, answering the question unasked. "It was kinda obvious…" he said. "You've been upset since—" Gray paused, frowning. "Since we got back from the Azure Wing job. I'm right, aren't I?"

Erza didn't say anything.

"Is it the whole extinguish-all-light thing? Is that what's wrong?"

"Don't be silly," said Erza quickly. Just because Gray knew about her phobias, it didn't mean she wanted to discuss them with him.

"What then?" he pestered.

Erza shook her head, unable to meet his eyes.

"Erza… talk to me." The gentleness of Gray's tone made her glance up. He gave her an encouraging nod.

Erza swallowed hard, nodding back. "My magic failed me," she admitted, her voice a whisper. "Lucy was in trouble and I couldn't do anything to save her."

"So _that's_ what this is about," he said. "I'm guessing that's why you wanted the archery lessons, huh?"

"I thought that if I could learn how to use a bow, like you, then next time things would be different. But it didn't help anything."

Gray's forehead scrunched in confusion. "What are you talking about? What do you mean 'it didn't help anything'?"

Erza turned towards him with a jerk. "Don't you understand? I _failed_ ," Erza hissed, waving in his direction.

Gray blinked at her for a moment. Then he let out a soft breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you did," he said.

Erza flinched. Gray had never been one to sugar-coat things.

"So, you screwed up," he said neutrally. "But that's okay. It happens to the best of us."

"This was a foolish idea. And look where it got us! I mean… you're hurt because of _me_ ," she choked.

"So, I got cocky and I screwed up too." Gray shrugged. "Like I said. Happens to the best of us," he repeated firmly.

"But this is my fault! If it hadn't been for me wanting to learn how to use that… that… _thing_ then none of this would have happened, said Erza, gesturing toward her discarded bow.

"You need to quit blaming yourself for everything," said Gray. "Erza, listen to me. There's nothing wrong with learning a new skill. We all gotta try our best to get stronger and this is just one way to do that," said Gray patiently. "It's fine, okay?"

Erza gave a stiff nod. "…I'm still sorry," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For getting us into this mess. For doubting my magic in the first place," she said. "I should have known better."

"You doubted _yourself_ ," he said. "Though you probably still should have known better."

"How could I not? You were relying on me, weren't you? I let you all down."

"We _do_ rely on you. Just like you rely on me…" said Gray. He had phrased it as a statement, but there was an uncertainty in his eyes, as if he were looking for confirmation.

Erza was more than happy to provide it. "Of course, Gray," she murmured. "You know I do."

"We're a team, so we all gotta pull our weight," said Gray reasonably. "We can rely on each other."

"I suppose you're right," said Erza, though the knot in her stomach loosened a little. "That was still pretty quick thinking with the bow."

"Wasn't anything special. I did what I had to," said Gray. "Flame Brain was doing the same thing. I mean, he was a compete idiot and went and _threw_ the lacrima, but... I mean, it's Natsu. Gotta cut him a break for that."

Gray's words took the weight off her chest.

When Erza thought about it, she could see the determined blaze in Natsu's expression as he engaged Lucy's captor. It was the same expression that Gray had worn when he had formed his bow to destroy the lacrima. Looking back, it seemed so _obvious_.

Erza felt like she could breathe again.

With her insecurities addressed, her image of Gray melted away like ice. Gray wasn't some sort of untouchable, Adonis-like hero. And he wasn't _perfect_. He was just Gray.

And just what did that mean?

Erza didn't have to think long for the answer.

Gray was old friend who knew her better than most and who had seen her cry more times than she would care to admit. He'd always been there, through days that were good and days that were…well, a little more like this.

She trusted him to look out for her.

She _needed_ him to look out for her.

And he always did.

Years of friendship and trust dwarfed any physical attraction that had been stirred by her sudden admiration.

Suddenly, it didn't bother Erza that they were sitting close enough for their knees to touch. She didn't care that he was still shirtless from when she and Mira had treated his injury. It didn't matter that he was grinning at her in that infuriatingly smug way.

Because it was just Gray. He was proud, practical, and little petulant. He certainly wasn't perfection itself. Not even close to it! But maybe, just maybe, that was perfect enough.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Just a little tired," said Gray, his shoulders lifting in a slight shrug.

"Does it hurt?"

Gray rolled his eyes. "Well, getting shot isn't a walk in the park. I wouldn't recommend it, just so you know."

Erza looked away, her hands fisting the folds of her skirt.

"Look, this is nothing compared to the fights Natsu and I get into." Gray waved his hand, exaggerating his false bravado.

"You're a terrible liar," she groused.

"Okay, fine. I'll admit it," said Gray. "I rough him up worse than he does me. So, this might be just a _little_ bit more serious, but not by much."

Erza let out a disbelieving huff, the corners of her mouth pulling upwards.

"Now _there's_ that smile," he said.

Erza tucked her chin to her chest, feeling oddly exposed. She wondered how Gray always managed to see her with such clarity. Half the time, she couldn't even see herself.

"I think I've—" Erza started to say.

"Hey, Erza? So I was wondering—" Gray was saying at the same time.

They both broke off awkwardly, waiting for the other to finish.

"What?" he asked.

"You first," she said.

Gray opened his mouth. Then he shut it again. Then he sighed, shaking his head. "Actually, never mind. It was stupid."

"Are you sure? I mean—"

"Forget it," said Gray. "It wasn't important. What were _you_ gonna say?"

"That I'm never using that _thing_ again," said Erza.

"Don't give it up," said Gray. "You were getting pretty good. A little more practice and—"

"No, thanks." Erza scowled, glaring at her bow from across the room. "I can't even look at it." She waved her hand, engulfing the weapon in a golden glow, Requipping it away into her armory.

"It's a waste if you quit now," said Gray, nudging her with his elbow.

Erza shook her head. "I've made up my mind, Gray. No more. I'm sticking to swords from now on. It's what I do best and I'm proud of it."

"Well, I can't say I disagree with that logic. But you're sure you're just going to quit? Just like that?" asked Gray.

"I'm sure," said Erza.

But fate worked in strange ways. It wouldn't be long before Erza would be reaching for that bow again, grateful to have it in her arsenal.

* * *

 **So Erza's back to normal... Sorry, Gray! Better luck next time.  
**

 **What? You didn't really think I'd make it this easy for them, did you? I've been saying that no ship was safe... there was no way I was going to let these two get together just like that. If they want it, they'll have to earn it. Although, I must say that I find Erza's revelation deliciously ironic, considering how she got there (all the fangirling in chapters 3 & 4).  
**

 ** ** **So what's next? Team Natsu is going on that beach trip****** ** ** ** **(as proposed by Erza in _Snowbound)._****** It's a completely pointless, fluffy, feel-good friendship-fic that leans Nalu and Grayza. Consider this your _summer-break_ before I bring on the _heart-break._ Because after that, we'll be back to the drama as I try to frustrate (and possibly sink) a few more ships.  
**

 **Stop back next Friday for _[Mazeverse]_ ****_Happiness Comes in Waves_** **, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


End file.
